Finally Home
by Trillian
Summary: Some never find each other, some meet by chance, and some find that the one they need has been right in front of them all their life…Nothing new here ~ just a few edits!
1. Prologue

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
The class sat mesmerized as they listened to their literature instructor lecture on the philosophies of Plato. He spoke of Plato's version of Creation in the Symposium, which asserted that in the beginning there was only one human, perfect and complete in himself. But the gods became jealous of man's happiness and self sufficiency, and in their anger, they split him in two and scattered him to the winds. Because of this, the two halves search forever to find each other, in order to join together and regain their sense of original created wholeness. Looking for his Soul Mate, or Split Apart.  
  
The students were held captive by his story, but each was lost in their own thoughts. They wondered, as we all do, where and when they might meet their own "other half." And when they did, how would they know?  
  
Some never find each other, some meet by chance, and some find that the one they need has been right in front of them all their life… 


	2. Are you ever going to tell her, Gordo?

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
David Gordon gazed up at the sky, brilliant with stars, like diamonds on black velvet. They were never so bright, or so numerous, back home. But here, in forest clearing more than a five-mile hike and two hours by car away from civilization, they were amazing. They reminded him of Lizzie. Nearly everything beautiful reminded him of Lizzie. But here, surrounded by glorious magnificence, he couldn't help but wish it was Lizzie instead of her brother Matt, in the sleeping bag next to him. He sighed.  
  
As if reading his mind, Matt inquired, "Are you ever going to tell her, Gordo?"  
  
"Am I ever going to tell whom, what?" Matt reading his mind was a bit too much for Gordo. Was he that transparent? What if everyone could just read his thoughts? What if Lizzie…  
  
Lizzie. She, along with Miranda, had been his best friends for as long as he could remember. Actually, Miranda was a little more recent, but he had known Lizzie all his life. He had seen her at her worst, and at her best. They had done everything together, talked about everything together, gone through everything together. Lizzie and Miranda were normal girls, interested in guys (especially Ethan Craft), popularity, and fashion. Gordo was something of a loner, interested in everything but guys,(he preferred girls) popularity, and fashion. But somehow they fit together just right. Then one day in 7th grade, Gordo had a revelation. He saw Lizzie kiss another guy, and he felt as if someone had just punched him in the gut. In one blindingly clear moment, he knew that he loved Lizzie McGuire, and that he always would.  
  
For a few insane minutes, he considered letting Lizzie in on his secret. But he realized that neither one of them were ready for what it might mean. If she didn't feel the same way, and she almost certainly didn't (she was always swooning over Ethan, not over him), it would make things very awkward between them. And in the unlikely event that she did, it would make things uncomfortable in their friendship with Miranda. He decided that a possibly short Jr. High romance wasn't worth losing a lifelong friendship. So he kept it to himself. Now, five years later, they were Seniors in High School, and he was still in love with Lizzie, only more so than ever, but he had never told anyone. Never. So, how could Matt be aware of it?  
  
"Oh, come on Gordo! You've been in love with my sister for at least five years now. Are you ever going to tell her?" Matt persisted. He was a pest when he was a kid, but Gordo had always liked him. Gordo was an only child, and it was fun to hang with Matt sometimes and play big brother. Now 14, Matt had turned into a pretty cool kid.  
  
"What makes you think…Oh forget it! Matt, she's going out with Ethan, her dream man now." He made a face when he said it, but that was lost on Matt, since he too was looking up at the sky. "I don't think she would welcome the news."  
  
"Oh, god, that moron with the two brain cell syndrome? You don't honestly think he's going to keep her interest for long, do you? I mean, he's ok, but he couldn't keep up his end of an intelligent conversation with a marshmallow."  
  
"Two brain cell syndrome?"  
  
"Yeah, you know – two brain cells. One is lost, and the other is out looking for it"  
  
"Cute. But I don't think his brain is what she's interested in." Gordo was glum. 


	3. See? Nice guy ~ just oblivious.

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
In a darkened theater, Lizzie looked wistfully over at a blissfully happy Miranda, had her head rested on Danny Kessler's shoulder, enjoying the movie. Having been dating for almost a year now, they no longer felt the need to paw each other every time the lights were dimmed. For most of their jr. high/high school years, Miranda had had the hots for Danny, but he never seemed to know she was alive. Then, after a failed acting stint, Miranda had found her niche by singing. It turned out that she wasn't just good singer ~ she was wonderful! She first joined the choir, then got solos. Pretty soon, she was winning competitions, and was being asked to sing for weddings. When Danny put together a band, Miranda summoned all her courage, bolstered by Lizzie and Gordo, who dragged her to the audition. She blew him and the rest of the band away, and the rest was history. They were actually really good, too. They were working hard and were getting more and more gigs. And Miranda had found the romance she had always wanted. Sigh.  
  
Lizzie had what she had always wanted too. Ever since junior high, she had been crazy for Ethan Craft, along with almost every other girl. But Kate had always been there to get in the way. Recently, however, Kate had decided that high school "boys" were much too immature for very mature her. She felt that college "men" were much more deserving, and therefore, were the only guys she would date. So, Ethan was "free."  
  
"Be careful of what you wish for," thought Lizzie, as Ethan returned with drinks and popcorn, " because you just might get it!" Really, he was a nice guy, seemingly oblivious of his popularity. If he just wasn't oblivious of everything else as well! It wasn't his fault that he'd lose an intelligence test to a dung beetle. But going to the movies with him was like going with a small a child ~ constantly having to explain any plot more complicated than a Van Dam kick flick. Good Will Hunting was just too much for him. When she had finally decided she couldn't take anymore, she started to excuse herself to get refreshments. He told her he'd go instead, since she was enjoying the movie. "See, he really is thoughtful," she reprimanded herself. But the truth was that she had missed so much that it didn't matter anymore.  
  
Lizzie found herself thinking about Gordo. Movies with Gordo were always fun. If it was a good flick, he would watch it without comment (ok, almost – Gordo is incapable of keeping quiet about anything for that long), and if it was boring, he made the movie more fun by doing his own amusing lines for the characters, complete with voices. "He would love this movie," she mused.  
  
Actually, she thought a lot about Gordo these days. She had had a crush on him long ago, but got over it. That was a kid thing. But after dating other guys, she couldn't help but compare them to her best male friend, and they all came up lacking. Gordo was intelligent, kind, funny, and always said the thing she most needed to hear. And she couldn't help but notice that while he had never been ugly, he was definitely getting hotter by the day.  
  
She was still thinking these things when they all headed for the Digital Bean for sodas and some dancing. Ethan had her gently by the elbow, and steered her to a suddenly open table (how does that always happen for him???) with Miranda and Danny bringing up the rear. Ethan was looking around to see who was there, and didn't seem to notice her mood. When the girls were seated, he and Danny went for drinks. Miranda gave her a long look, and demanded, "Ok, girl! What's up? What's with the attitude?"  
  
Lizzie regarded her friend. She would love to spill it all to her. But she hadn't even told Miranda about the thoughts she was having about their mutual friend. She loved Miranda, but sometimes she just didn't get the "cone of silence," thing. More than once, she had spilled information that Lizzie would have liked to have kept quiet. So she just said, "Nothing, really. I'm just tired, and have a headache. And I have to finish packing tomorrow, and you know how much I hate packing. Especially for this trip. I mean, it's not like I can go out and buy what I need if I forget it! But we're supposed to keep the packs as light as possible."  
  
This last bit was actually true. She and Miranda were going to spend 5 days on an adventure backpacking and canoeing trip led by their PE teacher, Ms. McMillan. Ms. Mac, as the students called her, was determined that "her girls" learn to take care of themselves in the wilderness, and so this trip was born. There were worse ways to spend Spring Break, and Lizzie was actually looking forward to it. But the packing…ugh!  
  
"Right. Lizzie, when are you going to tell Gordo how you feel?"  
  
Lizzie gaped at her. "What are you talking about??"  
  
Miranda just rolled her eyes, as the guys returned with the drinks and a giant plate of Nachos.  
  
All in all, she had a pretty good time. She loved to dance, and that's pretty much what they did all night. Ethan, being Ethan, danced with every girl there, but that was ok because there were plenty of other guys to dance with. And he always came back to her, like a faithful puppy returning to its master. Yes, that's exactly what it reminded her of. She wondered how she would feel if he didn't, but couldn't work up any emotion about it.  
  
Before they left, Miranda told her that she had to go to work early tomorrow, but would call Lizzie on her break.  
  
"I thought you were working tomorrow night," Lizzie questioned.  
  
"I am, but one of the guys couldn't make it tomorrow during the day, and I need the hours since we'll be gone all week. So, if you get done packing, you can come by and I'll let you in." In addition to the band, Miranda also worked at the movie theater where they had earlier been.  
  
"Ok, Manana! See ya, Danny!" The couples separated.  
  
Lizzie didn't say much on the way home, but Ethan didn't notice because he had the music on loud. When they got to Lizzie's house, he walked her to the door. He looked at her with mild concern and asked, "Is everything ok, Liz?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. I'm just tired, and I have a headache."  
  
"Oh, wow, you should have told me. I'd have turned down the music in the car. Sorry!" See, nice guy. Just oblivious.  
  
"It's ok, Ethan. I'm going to bed now." She got on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek, then let herself into the house.  
  
"Night, Lizzie." Ethan said, as her door was closing. 


	4. How's that headache?

The next morning, Lizzie got up and had breakfast. She did her chores, and helped her Mom wash the van. At a little after noon, she was just emerging from the shower when her phone rang. Her caller ID showed that it was Miranda calling from work, so she picked it up.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Hey, yourself. You awake yet?"  
  
"Yeah. I've been up for hours. Just because I took the whole week off doesn't mean I'm going to spend it sleeping!" Lizzie retorted.  
  
"You could've fooled me last night! How's that "headache?" Decided to tell him yet?"  
  
"Ha ha! My head is fine, thank you. I was just going to grab lunch, and then finish packing." The last part of that sentence was lost because there was a loud beep from call waiting. "Hang on a minute, Miranda. I gotta see who this is."  
  
"Hey, Lizzie, get Mom, ok?" Ordinarily, Lizzie would have interrogated him before handing over the phone to someone else. But not this time.  
  
"Hang on, Matt. Miranda's on the other line. Let me ring off with her, and I'll call Mom. –flash- Miranda, I gotta go. Matts on the other line, and he doesn't sound good."  
  
"Ok. I get off for a couple of hours this afternoon. I'll come by, ok?" 


	5. Oh, man! I told him not to drink that w...

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
Earlier that morning…  
  
Gordo woke at about 3am to an the sound of serious wretching. He looked over at Matt's sleeping bag, and saw it was empty. "Oh, man, I told him not to drink that water!" he thought. "Hey, Matt, you ok?" he called. No answer. More wretching. Ok, better check it out.  
  
Sure enough, there was Matt about 15 yards from their campsight. He was a mess, and so was the area around him. Gordo surveyed the situation, and asked without much hope, "You ok?" Matt just glanced at him before returning to his current occupation. The smell was enough to make anyone ill, but the next odor that assaulted Gordo's nose suggested that vomiting wasn't all Matt had been doing.  
  
This started to alarm Gordo. They were five miles away from their truck, and Matt didn't look like he could make it back to the campsite, let alone make that long trek. Out here, when the sun came out and it started to get hot, Matt might dehydrate in no time. Especially if he couldn't hold down any liquids. There was no doubt that they would have to leave, and the sooner the better, before sunrise. Deciding that he couldn't do anything more for his ailing friend, he went back to begin breaking camp.  
  
This had all seemed like a good idea a couple of days ago when Mr. McGuire had had to cancel his plans to go camping with Matt because of the sudden death of one of his uncles. The family hadn't known him well, but Mr. McGuire had grown up with him, so he flew alone back east for the funeral. Matt was really bummed, as he had been looking forward to the trip, and Gordo, not being a girl, wasn't included in the backpacking/canoeing adventure Lizzie and Miranda were taking. So, he had volunteered to go with Matt. And up till now, they'd been having a good time. But Matt didn't want to carry the extra weight of water bottles, when there was so much "fresh" water where they were going. Gordo had tried to share his water, but Matt insisted on drinking out of a stream. And now he was paying for it.  
  
Gordo briefly considered leaving to go get the truck and to try to drive it as close as possible. But, upon reflection, he knew he couldn't get it much closer; not enough to matter. He tried the cell phone, but couldn't get a signal. He sighed. What now? 


	6. Oh, you know, a little at a time...

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
When Jo got off the phone, she looked stricken.  
  
"Mom, what's wrong with Matt?"  
  
"He drank the water out of a stream, and now he's really sick. Gordo is bringing him home, and I have to get him to a doctor. They're a couple of hours away, and hopefully your brother can make it without stopping."  
  
Lizzie noted the stress in her mom's eyes, as she watched her pour coffee into the dog's dish, and kibble into a mug for herself. "Mom, you go call the doctor. I'll get your coffee for you." Jo looked blankly at her mug full of dog food, and then said, "Thanks, Honey, I will."  
  
It was a very long two hours. In fact, it was closer to two and a half. Although Gordo was driving much faster than usual, he had to make frequent stops for Matt to get out and have dry heaves. There didn't seem to be anything else left in him. He would then get back into the car and try to sleep. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Jo bundled her son into her van, hugged and thanked Gordo, and drove off.  
  
Lizzie had run out to meet them along with her mother. When she saw Gordo, she thought he looked almost as bad as her brother did. She started pulling Matt's gear from the bed of the truck and throwing it onto the grass, saying that she would hurry so he could get home to rest.  
  
Gordo picked up Matt's sleeping bag and pack, and headed for the garage. "I can't go home. Mom and Dad are having the house fumigated, and no one can go into the house at least till tonight. Mom and Dad took the weekend to go visit Dad's sister."  
  
"Gordo, I can get that! Go inside, then, and rest."  
  
"It's ok. Just grab that cooler, so we can get the food into the freezer." They worked together to put everything away, and then went into the house. Lizzie couldn't help but notice how exhausted her friend looked. "You must be hungry. I can make you lunch. A sandwich, maybe?"  
  
He looked at her gratefully. "A sandwich would be great. Thanks."  
  
"Ok, why don't you go sit on the couch, and I'll bring it to you." Ordinarily, he would have preferred to stay with her and find out what all he had missed the last couple of days. But today, he obeyed. But, halfway out of the room he turned and asked, "Can I take a shower first?"  
  
"Of course. I'll go get your pack and leave it in the guest room so you can get clean clothes. You do have clean clothes, don't you?"  
  
"Clean underwear. Everything else is dirty."  
  
"Ok, I'll get you some of Matt's sweats, too."  
  
When Gordo was clean and dry and feeling human again, Lizzie brought him a plate piled with sandwiches, chips, cut up fresh fruit, and potato salad, and a large glass of lemonade. He drank the lemonade down right away, and she smiled as she relieved him of the glass and went to refill it. While she was gone, he tucked into the food as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. He felt like he hadn't. It was the best meal he had ever eaten, and it could have been made of cardboard. Up till then, he hadn't realized how hungry he was. When Lizzie returned with the refilled glass, she also had a plate of brownies.  
  
Gordo taken care of for the present, she resumed worrying about her brother. When Gordo slowed down to a semi-normal eating pace, she asked him, "How did you get him back, Gordo? I've been on that hike, and it's a long one."  
  
"Oh, well, you know. A little at a time," was all he would say. And then they started talking about everything else, and Lizzie realized how long it had been since they had had time for a good conversation. They were always so busy these days, and when they were together, there were usually other people around. It was so nice to be with Gordo…a guy who looked at her when she talked, made appropriate responses, could discuss ideas and thoughts. His brown eyes were so warm, and those lips…what would it be like to kiss those sensuous lips? She shook herself, as if to tear herself from the idea. "Friend, Lizzie, best Friend!" she crossly reminded herself.  
  
"You ok, Lizzie?" Gordo asked with concern.  
  
"Yeah, thanks. Just a sudden chill. Sorry."  
  
When he was done with his meal she removed his plates, against his protests, "Lizzie, I can do it. You made lunch for me, I can clean it up." Of course, she wouldn't hear of it, and told him to go to the guest room and get some rest. This time, he didn't obey.  
  
"I couldn't get up if I tried. Can't I just lie down here? You don't have to be quiet. I think right now I could sleep through a parade if it came through your living room."  
  
"Ok, Gordo." He laid down, and she covered him with a blanket, and started to leave.  
  
"Lizzie, stay for awhile, ok?"  
  
"Sure, Gordo." So she sat by the couch, and they talked some more, and Lizzie rubbed his shoulders. He'd have dragged Matt for 100 miles if he'd known this was his reward at the end. So thinking, Gordo finally dropped off to sleep, and had dreams about being married to Lizzie. 


	7. Oh, wow Mom! Gordo's a hero!

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
When her mom and Matt walked in, her mom looked much better than she had before they left. From what she has seen of Matt, he looked better too, much less green. He said "Hey, sis" and continued on to his room. He needed sleep. But he had been given some great meds and an IV at the hospital, and at least his nausea was gone.  
  
When he was gone, Jo asked Lizzie where Gordo was. While Lizzie cleaned up the lunch dishes, she told her mom about him helping her unpack, about his house being currently uninhabitable, and about making him lunch and ordering him to get some rest.  
  
"That's good. From what Matt told me, he may not wake up for days."  
  
"What do you mean, Mom? Was he sick, too?"  
  
"No, it's what he did for Matt. He really did save his life. Matt was so sick, he couldn't walk. So Gordo would haul both packs with all their gear for about 50 yards. Then he would go back and get Matt. He supported Matt and helped him make that 50 yards. Then, he let Matt rest, and hauled the equipment another 50 yards, and then went back for your brother. He did that for 5 miles, starting at about 4am. Then he drove them home." By the time she finished telling the tale, both Jo and Lizzie were both in tears from the thought of the ordeal.  
  
"Wow, Mom!" Lizzie sniffed, "Gordo's a hero!"  
  
"Yes, Honey, he is."  
  
When Miranda came by at 4:00, Gordo was still asleep. Lizzie related the story of Matt's rescue to her, and Miranda looked in amazement at Gordo. "Wow, that must have been tough! Matt's gotta be at least 5 inches taller than Gordo!"  
  
"And he carried all their gear." Lizzie resisted the very strong urge to stroke his face or finger the unruly curls that fell over his neck.  
  
"Have you talked to Ethan today," Miranda asked suspiciously.  
  
"No, he called earlier, but I told him I'd have to call him back later." Lizzie wasn't in the mood to listen to Ethan give her a blow by blow about the basketball game he had just watched. She glanced at Gordo as he shifted his position, and suggested they go into her room so they didn't disturb him.  
  
In her room, Miranda approached the subject of Ethan/Gordo again. "Lizzie, think about it. I know you have feelings for Gordo. You would know it too, if you would think about it."  
  
"Miranda, even if what you said was true, he probably doesn't return those feelings. After all, we've been friends forever, and he hasn't ever acted like he wanted to be more than that." Miranda rolled her eyes. Lizzie could be so dense sometimes.  
  
Lizzie continued, "And I don't want to hurt Ethan. He's clueless, but he's a nice guy. He was really a mess when Kate dumped him."  
  
"He was "a mess" for a couple of days, when he refused to talk to girls. He got over it pretty fast. And besides, you can't compare your relationship with theirs. They were two co-dependant shallow people, where as you are a like a kindergarten teacher and student."  
  
Lizzie started to protest, but stopped. She couldn't truthfully argue about anything Miranda had said. Not about Ethan, anyway. Ok, not at all.  
  
The phone rang, and Lizzie jumped on it to stop the current conversation.  
  
"Hey, Liz, feeling better?" It was Ethan.  
  
"Yeah, Ethan, thanks."  
  
"So, you wanna go out and hang somewhere tonight?" Ugh. Never any definite plans, never anything different. Gordo would suggest a trip to a museum, or a poetry reading, or stargazing at the planetarium… "I have got to stop thinking like that! Bad Lizzie!" Still, she couldn't stomach the idea of spending another night hanging out at Sonic or watching the guys play pool in Ethan's basement. And Miranda was working, so she wouldn't even have her to keep company.  
  
"Not tonight, but thanks for asking. My brother came home early from his camping trip because he's sick, so I haven't had time to finish packing. And we leave tomorrow."  
  
Ethan didn't seem to know what to say. It occurred to Lizzie that no girl had probably ever turned him down. "Uh, ok. I guess I'll see you when you get back, huh?" It never entered Ethan's mind to come over and see her at her house. Not that she wanted him to. She didn't. She didn't know what she wanted, but she didn't want to spend her last evening at home with Ethan. Wow! What a change from a year ago!  
  
When she hung up, she and Miranda talked about it, and tried on Lizzie's pack and walked around with it. She had finally finished packing while she was waiting for Gordo and Matt to get home. It didn't seem too bad, and she was pretty sure she had everything she needed. She had checked her list about 8 times now, and it was all there. Maybe, if Gordo woke up before she left, she could ask him if she had forgotten anything.  
  
Miranda had to be back at work at 6, and Lizzie told her she might see her there. She was thinking she'd go see Good Will Hunting alone, so she could actually watch the whole thing. It had looked like a good movie. 


	8. I might have known that food would wake ...

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
Jo went out to get Gatorade, soda, and Jello for Matt, and Lizzie started making dinner. She put the chicken in a pan, seasoned it with taco seasoning, and poured salsa over the whole thing. Cheese on top, and into the oven. Pretty soon, it delicious aromas filled the air.  
  
It was that aroma that woke Gordo from his happy domestic dreams. He sat up and looked around for a minute before he remembered where he was. Lizzie saw him sitting up, and went to see how he was.  
  
"Gordo, you shouldn't be up yet."  
  
He jumped when he saw her. Lizzie in oven mitts was just too ironic. He recovered and stretched. "I'm fine. I don't want to be awake all night. Besides, it smells good in here."  
  
Lizzie grinned. "I might have known that food would wake you up! I called your parents while you were asleep and let them know what was going on. They said they would come home right away, but I told them you were ok, and that you could stay in our guest room. They want you to call."  
  
Gordo made the call, and Lizzie went to finish the dinner. When he came into the kitchen, he got out silverware and napkins and started to set the table. He told Lizzie that he had convinced his family to stay put, that he was just tired, and that he would be fine at the McGuire's. They didn't want to sleep in their house, anyway, since it had just been sprayed.  
  
Lizzie told him that she was thinking about going to see Good Will Hunting after dinner.  
  
"Didn't you go to see that Friday night with Ethan and Miranda and Danny?"  
  
"Yeah, but I missed most of the movie."  
  
"Oh." Gordo turned away. He hated to think of Lizzie making out with Ethan, or anyone else. It occurred to Lizzie that Gordo had completely misunderstood.  
  
"By the time I get finished interpreting one scene to Ethan so he can understand it, the next one is over. I gave up trying to follow about half way through," she explained. "Umm, wanna go with?"  
  
"Yeah, I do, thanks." Was she finally starting to tire of Mr. Wonderful? Did he have a tiny chance? 


	9. He doesn't work here... he's sitting nex...

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
After dinner, Lizzie went to get ready to go out. What to wear? She had never worried about what to wear when she and Gordo had gone to the movies before. But she sensed that this time was different, and she wanted to look especially good. She wanted to call Miranda, but of course that wasn't possible. In the end, she found an outfit that was cute and a little sexy, but not obvious. She didn't want to make a fool out of herself, after all. What if he didn't feel the same way.  
  
What way? Had she decided she was in love with him? In love? Was she?  
  
Yes, she definitely was. No two ways about it. She couldn't see her future without Gordo, and she didn't want to. But she guessed he had to have a say in it as well. And then she started to get really nervous.  
  
Forcing herself to breathe, she finished fixing her hair and putting on make-up. One more deep breath, and she made her entrance. "Ready!"  
  
Gordo turned to see her and his heart skipped a beat. "Wow, Lizzie! You look beautiful."  
  
"You always say that."  
  
"You always do. But I didn't expect you to get all dressed up. I'm going to look like a slob. I only have these sweats to wear. Even if my clothes were clean, they're just camping clothes."  
  
"You look fine, Gordo. I'm just happy we're spending some time together. Let's go so we don't miss the beginning of the movie."  
  
Gordo looked down and made his resigned face. He decided she was probably trying to impress one of the guys who worked at the theater. "We'd better take your car. The truck doesn't smell very good."  
  
At the theater, Miranda met them at the door and let them in. Being a Sunday night, it wasn't very busy. They took one look at their friend and exclaimed, "What happened to you!?!" She was covered with splotches and streaks of bright yellow. Ordinarily, this might be a fashion statement for the ever eccentric Miranda, but they were pretty sure it didn't go with her uniform.  
  
"OMG, someone (she looked pointedly at the poor guy skulking behind the snack counter) dropped the mustard jar while he was filling the dispenser. There is yellow everywhere! You guys go in and find a seat. I gotta help clean up. I'll bring you guys some popcorn and cokes in a few, k?"  
  
"Ok, thanks!" They headed into the theater, which was still lit. There were only a few other people there, so they could choose to sit anywhere they wanted. After debating the merits of close up/farther back, they finally decided on seats about ¼ of the way from the screen, right in the center. They sat down, got comfortable, and waited.  
  
Just to make conversation, not that he really wanted to know, Gordo asked, "So, is he here?"  
  
Lizzie furrowed her brow at him, "Is who here?"  
  
"The guy you wore that outfit and fixed your hair and face up for." He looked straight ahead at the announcements on the screen in front of them, afraid of betraying his feelings to her.  
  
Lizzie kept frowning at him. Finally she answered, "Yeah, in fact he is."  
  
In for a penny… "Which one is he?"  
  
"Which one of what?" she wasn't going to make this easy on him.  
  
"Which one of the guys who works here is it?" he was getting a little impatient. After all, there couldn't be an answer to this question that he'd like.  
  
Or could there be…  
  
She fixed her gaze on him, "He doesn't work here, Gordo. He's sitting next to me."  
  
Gordo turned to stare at her. This was too amazing. He could not have heard her correctly. "You got dressed up for me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But why?" Maybe that didn't sound right. But his heart was pounding in his chest, and he could bearly hear himself think. "I mean, I always think you look beautiful, no matter what you're wearing."  
  
Suddenly feeling very shy and nervous, Lizzie looked down and murmured, "I guess I just wanted you to know that I think you're special, and that I love being with you."  
  
He couldn't help himself. Joy filled him like he had never felt before. Still looking at her, he reached over and laced his fingers together with hers. Lizzie could feel him shaking. Her head was still tilted downward, but her eyes moved up to meet his. She bit her lip. Was she ready for this step? This wasn't just a casual thing. It was real. She looked down at their clasped hands, and made a decision.  
  
She pulled her hand from his.  
  
Gordo's heart sunk in his chest. There was that gut punch again, only this time it was much worse.  
  
Until he realized that she had removed the armrest that divided them, and was pressing her shoulder into his chest, so that he would put his arm around her. He gladly complied, and she rested her head onto his shoulder. Gordo thought his heart would burst. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and then took his free hand to gently turn her face up to his.  
  
There was a question, almost a plea in his eyes. Her eyes answered, as she closed the distance between their lips in a kiss. Tentative at first, but only for an instant. Electricity shot through their bodies as they deepened the kiss to match their feelings. Neither wanted it to end, or to ever let go. Soul mates fused, they were finally home.  
  
They didn't even notice that the lights had dimmed, and that the previews had started.  
  
Suddenly, a thought crept into Gordo's mind. He knew that any minute now he would awaken and find that he was on the McGuire's couch, and that this had all been a dream. Fine. He wouldn't wake up! His thoughts, however, were interrupted.  
  
There was a gasp, then a deluge of cold liquid, and then panicked apologies in Spanish. Startled out of their intimacy, they both looked up to see Miranda holding a tray with popcorn, and empty cupholders that had previously held large cups of very cold soda and lots of ice.  
  
"OMG, I am so sorry! You guys just… startled me! I just didn't expect to see…!" She seemed to realize that they were both dripping with Pibb, and started to try to mop them up with the napkins she had brought.  
  
Gordo looked at Lizzie and laughed. Nothing was going to spoil his good mood now. "It's ok, Miranda. Will you get us some more napkins?"  
  
"Sure, yeah, that would be a good idea." Still flustered, she turned to go.  
  
"Leave the popcorn, please!" Lizzie took it from her.  
  
Still laughing, they watched Miranda make her way through the row. At the end, she turned back to them and grinned, "Hey, you guys! It's about time!" and disappeared through the doors.  
  
Gordo grinned at Lizzie, and leaned in for another quick kiss. "I love you, Lizzie McGuire."  
  
"I love you, too, Gordo." She pushed a piece of popcorn into his mouth, leaned back onto his shoulder, and sighed contentedly. Yes, finally where she belonged. 


	10. Epilogue

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
BTW, thanks for the very kind reviews. This is the first fanfic I have written or published, so your encouragement is very much appreciated.  
  
  
  
Miranda was doing her close-up routine ~ emptying the food machines, wiping down the counters, sweeping up the popcorn and nacho chips from the floor. She had cleaned the mustard off her face and out of her hair, and put on a clean uniform (sans yellow splats and brown amoeba shaped Pibb stains).  
  
"Hey, Aphrodite!" Miranda turned around with pleasure to see her love, Danny standing there.but her smile faltered when she saw he wasn't alone.  
  
"Hi, guys!" She bent over the counter to receive the kiss Danny was offering. "How's it going, Ethan?"  
  
"Ok. Is Lizzie here? Her mom said she might have come by to watch a movie. We thought you guys might want to head over to the DB for a drink or something."  
  
"Uh, well, uh."Miranda was frantically trying to come up with an answer. What should she say? What could she say?  
  
As it happened, she didn't have to say anything. The theater doors opened, and out came a laughing couple, hand in hand, and leaning in for a kiss.  
  
Miranda said quickly, "How was the movie, guys?"  
  
Lizzie was about to say it was great when she looked up and saw the little welcoming party. Oh, wow. She had known she was going to have to face Ethan. She just thought she'd have more time to think about it. Like the next 5 days.  
  
Still holding hands, she and Gordo approached the group. "Uh, hi guys. Hi, Ethan."  
  
Ethan eyed the two clasped hands, and then looked Lizzie in the eye questioningly. She said, "I guess we should, umm." she indicated a bench across the room with her head.  
  
"Yeah. Excuse us a minute, ok?"  
  
When they were across the room, they looked at the bench, but neither one sat down. They stood in silence for a few minutes, each waiting for the other to say something. Finally, Ethan spoke, "So, you and Gor-don, huh?  
  
Still not meeting his eyes, Lizzie started, "Ethan, I'm sorry! I."  
  
He cut her off, "Look, McGuire, it's ok. It's not like I wasn't expecting it."  
  
Now she lifted her face to look at him, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Oh, come on. I may be dense, but even I knew you were bored to death with me. You were just too nice to say anything about it." Lizzie started to protest, but he went on. "Look, you and Gordo belong together. We both know it. I was better at being Kate's arm dressing. She never expected much out of me ~ I just had to look good. You need more than that."  
  
Lizzie didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't say anything.  
  
He spoke again, "I did kind of like my girlfriend being nice to me for a change, though. It was nice when you always said thank you when I brought you drinks or held the door for you. And you always at least acted like you were interested in what I was saying."  
  
She couldn't help but think that this was the most he had spoken in the entire time they had been seeing each other. Maybe he wasn't quite as dumb as she had thought. She felt kind of guilty for underestimating him. She started, "Ethan."  
  
He cut her off, "We did have some fun, didn't we?"  
  
She nodded up at him and smiled.  
  
"Friends, ok?" He lightly tapped her on the chin with his fist. She nodded again. "Kiss goodbye?"  
  
Before she could answer, he lightly kissed her lips.  
  
"You're ok, McGuire. So, you guys wanna head over to the DB for a soda?"  
  
"Thanks, Ethan, but I think I'd better get home to bed. It's going to be a long week."  
  
  
  
Gordo had been watching them, trying not to seem too obvious or jealous. He trusted Lizzie, but he was a little worried that she might change her mind and decide that tonight had been a huge mistake. When he saw Ethan kiss her, he almost lost it. Almost. He forced himself to turn back to Danny and Miranda.  
  
"Don't worry, Gordo." Miranda locked eyes with him. She didn't need to say anything more. They were best friends, after all.  
  
Lizzie and Ethan rejoined the group. "Everything ok?" Miranda inquired.  
  
"Better than ok," Lizzie smiled. "We agreed that we make better friends, anyway."  
  
Danny spoke up, "So, DB or no?"  
  
Lizzie looked at Gordo and said, "I'd better pass. Gotta get some rest. It's my last night to sleep in a bed for awhile, and we're leaving pretty early tomorrow."  
  
"And I'm still tired from this morning," added Gordo. Wow, was that really just this morning? What a difference a day makes! "It's been a really long day. But a really good one."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I'd better turn it, too. Wanna take me home, D?" Miranda yawned.  
  
"You bet, Babe. I'm gonna miss you."  
  
To Be continued....  
  
I'm going to finish this story under a separate entry, so if you want to read the rest, it will be listed as "The Day After Happily Ever After." The first four chapters will be the same as these you have already read. Thanks for taking the time to read my story! I really do appreciate those of you who have taken the time to review, too! 


	11. Part II ~ The Day After Happily Ever Aft...

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
A/N Thanks all for the kind reviews. I thought I was done, but I find I have more story to tell. Hope you enjoy it!  
  
  
  
1 Part II  
  
The Day After Happily Ever After  
  
  
  
The next morning, Lizzie was seated on the bus staring out the window but not really seeing anything. She had been looking forward to this trip for a long time, but now that she had just started a new relationship with Gordo, she was reluctant to leave. Miranda still hadn't shown up, and Lizzie began to wonder if she had really gone home right away last night. As for herself and Gordo, they had gone straight home. Why not, after all, as Gordo was to stay the night at the McGuire's house anyway? They could go home and be together, so why go anywhere else?  
  
But, as it turned out, Gordo was exhausted after the full day he had had, and much as he would have liked to stay up to talk (and kiss) with Lizzie, he could barely keep his eyes open. They made hot chocolate and sat on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms, feeling the warmth and felicity of just being together. Finally, Gordo started to say something, and then just trailed off midsentence. Lizzie looked at his sleeping face, and wondered what had taken her so long to come to her senses. He looked so…adorable, so peaceful; almost childlike with his thick dark curtain of lashes falling across his cheek. She fingered his raven curls, and kissed his forehead. He woke with a start, "Oh, oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep."  
  
"It's ok, Gordo. You've had a really long day."  
  
He smiled sleepily and said, "But it's been the best day of my life." Unintentionally, he opened his mouth in a huge yawn, then said, "Sorry, Beautiful. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."  
  
She kissed him and said, "Let's get you to bed."  
  
She did just that. By that time, Jo had washed Matt's clothes, and had washed Gordo's along with them. He put on clean boxers and a t-shirt, and brushed his teeth while Lizzie turned down his bed and fluffed his pillows. When he came out, she tucked him in and kissed him good night. She would have loved to climb in and fall asleep in his arms, but decided that it would not put her mother in favor of the relationship when she found them in the morning. By the time she turned for one last look at him before closing the door, he was long gone in dreamland. Little did she know of the dreams he was having, a continuation of the ones he had had earlier; dreams of himself and Lizzie, a home of their own, their future happiness together assured.  
  
We can all dream.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
Lizzie was startled out of her reverie by the sound of Miranda boarding the bus. She plopped down in the seat next to Lizzie, a smile on her face but sleep still in her eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a rather boring ponytail, compared to Miranda's usual whimsical style. She had obviously not spent much time getting ready. Lizzie grinned at her friend, "Morning, Sleepyhead! You went back to sleep after I called you, didn't you?"  
  
Miranda smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I stayed up kinda late last night."  
  
Lizzie raised her brows, "Last night, or this morning?"  
  
"Well, we did end up going to the Bean last night for a drink and a few dances. We didn't want Ethan to have to go all by himself, or to go home." Miranda said. Then, not wanting to make Lizzie feel guilty, she added, "But you know, he's ok. He had a great time dancing, and by midnight it was all over the place that he was a free agent again. So he had his usual harem back."  
  
"Minus us."  
  
"Minus us. What a difference a year makes, huh?"  
  
Claire, Kate, and the rest of the cheerleaders got noisily onto the bus, acting as usual like they owned the place. Except that Lizzie noticed that Kate was oddly silent. On their way to the back , Claire stopped and smirked at Lizzie, "Guess Ethan finally came to his senses and dumped you, huh?"  
  
Miranda sprung out of her seat, black eyes snapping, and challenged her eye- to-eye, "You know that's not what happened, and so does everyone else! Lizzie dumped…" Lizzie pulled her down to the seat and shook her head at her friend.  
  
"Thanks, but I won't do that to him. I don't care what Claire thinks, anyway." Besides, that whole group had been there when Gordo brought Lizzie to the bus stop this morning, and couldn't have missed the goodbye kiss he gave her. That left little doubt as to what had really happened.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
He made sure he was up early enough to be the one to see her off. Lizzie told him he should sleep in, and that he and Matt could pick her car up at the bus stop later, but he wouldn't hear of it. He carried her gear out to her car (his truck still smelled pretty bad, despite his having left the windows open all night) while she dressed and ate breakfast. When they reached the parking lot, he helped her carry her stuff to the bus. The "Bimbo Squad" as Gordo called them, was standing around talking ("Like, Oh My God, I can't believe that I have to go a whole week without blow dryer!"),waiting till the last minute to get on the bus and knowing that no one would dare to take their sacred seats in the back.  
  
Gordo looked longingly at Lizzie and said, " I can't believe I just got you and already have to let you go."  
  
"I know, but it's only for a week. We have the rest of our lives to be together."  
  
He eyed the cheerleaders warily and asked her, "Can I kiss you goodbye?"  
  
"You'd better! Anyway, I'm sure news about last night was all over town by midnight."  
  
So Gordo kissed her. Deep and soft and slow, so that she felt her whole body tingle. He wanted to get a week's worth of kisses into that one short moment, so that she wouldn't forget about him while she was gone. Like that would happen.  
  
Finally, they reluctantly separated. "Bye, Lizzie. I'll be waiting for you on Sunday."  
  
"Bye, Gordo."  
  
"Hey, Lizzie!"  
  
She turned back to face him.  
  
"I love you."  
  
" I love you, too, Gordo."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
Claire continued to make her way to the back, but wasn't done with her snotty remarks, "Well, I see you hooked up with the Loser, just like you should have a long time ago."  
  
Miranda was seething, but Lizzie just let it go. "Are you going to just let her be like…like… like…that to you???"  
  
"Oh, Miranda, who cares? Claire is only important in her own mind, and with her little "posse." I have what I want to make me happy, and so do you. So, who cares what they think?"  
  
That really was the truth. Lines of popularity changed quite a bit since jr. high. There was always the "In Crowd" which consisted of athletes and cheerleaders, but most people had found their own niche and didn't care so much about being a part of it. Lizzie had, in fact made the cheerleading squad one year. She found that she was pretty good at it, having been good at rythmic gymnastics, and that it was fun. But she didn't like the company she had to keep for it, so she quit after a year.  
  
Since then, she found that she was good at graphic art, painting, and foreign languages. She also decided to try rythmic gymnastics again, and decided that she did like it after all. She had won several medals now, which gave her some celebrity at school. And of course, Miranda had her singing. Since the band was making a name for themselves, she even had a little fan club, and people at school were starting to copy the way she dressed. And then there was Gordo, who was student director and head cameraman for the morning news at school. So, they had all found their own thing, and didn't care what Claire's crowd thought of them. Not that Gordo ever did.  
  
She wrinkled her nose and then put on a smug smile, "Besides, that "Loser" has enough embarrassing footage of her on tape to make her life miserable."  
  
The bus finally pulled out of the parking lot, and Miranda started telling her about the events of the previous night, but was yawning frequently, so the telling was slow. Not Miranda's usual million-miles-a-minute- conversation. Finally, she gave up and went to sleep, first on Lizzie's shoulder, then lying across her lap. Ordinarily, Lizzie would have been disappointed, but right now she wanted to think about her new relationship, so she was kind of relieved. She didn't notice how quiet Kate had been among her giggling, gossiping group, or that she had been staring at the back of Lizzie's head. Lizzie was just watching the scenery go by, lost in her thoughts, and getting pretty drowsy herself.  
  
Suddenly, Kate was in the seat in front of her, asking if they could talk. Lizzie blinked at her for a minute, confused. While Kate had dropped the outright animosity toward her several years back (maybe when Lizzie joined the cheerleading squad, but she couldn't remember), they had never been the kind of acquaintances to chat with each other, especially within Claire's viewing. "Sure, Kate. What do you want?"  
  
Kate didn't say anything for a minute. Lizzie expected the old, "Look, this doesn't mean we're going to be friends" speech, but she didn't get it. Instead, Kate finally looked at her and asked, "Is it true about you and Ethan? I mean, that you broke up with him?"  
  
Lizzie eyed her suspiciously, wondering what little game that group was going to play, but answered, "Yes."  
  
Again, Kate was silent. She knew what she wanted. She just didn't know how to put it into words. She tried, "Do you think he would take me back now?" Oops, that came out wrong. "I mean, if you didn't mind. You don't seem to upset about it, and you have Gordo now…"  
  
"Uh, yeah. It's ok. We were never really in love. We just liked spending time together." She was still confused. "Kate, why do you want to know? I thought you were done with high school boys. I thought you just wanted to date college guys now."  
  
Kate glanced nervously at the back of the bus. "I do. I mean…" she buried her face in her hands, and her voice shook badly. "Oh, god, I hate my life."  
  
Lizzie just stared at Kate, and realized she was crying. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her, as she watched the sobs wrack her body, and spidery mascara lines start to run down her face. And in typical Lizzie fashion, she wanted to do something to help. She got her bag, took out a wet wipe and a couple of sodas she had stowed for the trip. She got up and gently laid Miranda's head on her bag, then took the drinks and moved up into the seat next to Kate.  
  
Handing Kate one of the cans, she said, "Ok, go ahead and spill. I won't tell anyone."  
  
Kate accepted the can and took a few sips of the cold fizzy liquid. When she finally spoke, she had her voice under control again. 


	12. All I have to show for my life is a rhin...

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
"Lizzie, what are you going to do when you graduate?"  
  
Lizzie was wondering for a minute if they were having the same conversation. What did this have to do with Ethan, or the college boys Kate had been spending time with? "Well, I think I'm going on a trip to Disney World with Gordo, Miranda, and Danny. Then I guess I'm going to study Foreign Policy in college. Why?"  
  
"You have the whole world open to you. You have good grades, so you can do what ever you want to do. And you have good friends who stand by you and support you no matter what. And everyone actually likes you. I mean, really likes you. People pretend to like me because I am popular and a cheerleader, but they don't really like me as a person. And I know that if I stopped cheerleading, my "friends" would dump me in a heartbeat."  
  
Lizzie was watching Kate, trying to see her side of this story. It was a little hard, since it was coming from someone who had been fairly bitchy for the last seven years. I mean, there was a reason people "didn't really like her as a person."  
  
"I've spent the last 7 years of my life alienating most of my old friends, and devoting my life to people who care more about the color of my nail polish than about who I am. My grades are ok, but they won't get me into Harvard. In fact, I'm hoping they'll get me into a state school. I may be stuck here at the community college for a couple of years before I can go anywhere. While everyone else goes off to start a whole new life." Her voice was starting to shake again, so she took a couple more sips of the soda to calm herself. "I'm not stupid, you know. It's not like I couldn't have gotten good grades if I had tried."  
  
Lizzie said quietly, " I know, Kate. I remember the Factathalon."  
  
Kate looked at Lizzie for a minute, having a strange sort of Deja Vu moment. Claire would not want to sit patiently and listen to her bawl. "Yeah, whatever, Kate. Like, what are you going to wear to the Prom?" She thought of when they were kids, and how she and Lizzie had always been such good friends back then.  
  
"So, I'm standing there on stage at the football Homecoming Dance in October, about to be crowned Homecoming Queen, and I realize that this might be "It." This might be the highlight of my life. Pretty soon, we'd graduate, and I would have nothing to show for my life but a rhinestone tiara and some dead roses. I looked at Ethan standing next to me with that goofy smile on his face, and I just couldn't do it anymore. So I dumped him. I went to a party at my cousin's Fraternity, and had a great time. I got to go as a whole new person, that noone knew. I could start all over. And I liked the college guys. They were fun to hang out and party with. And they seemed so much more mature." She was finally regaining some of her composure, so Lizzie handed her the wet wipe. Kate wiped her face, ridding herself of most of the spider lines.  
  
She sniffed a little, "But college guys also expect more out of you than high school guys, and they want it faster. And since I'm not the popular cheerleader there that I am here, if I didn't give them what they wanted, they would just find someone who would."  
  
Lizzie looked at her, but didn't know what to say. She finally said quietly, "So, did you…?"  
  
Kate laughed bitterly, "No, but I almost did."  
  
"What stopped you?"  
  
"His girlfriend that he forgot to tell me about. She came to his room, and he made me hide in the closet. Naked!" She covered her face again, "Oh, god, how cliché! How humiliating!" She turned her face to Lizzie, who handed her another wipe. " I swore I would never tell anyone."  
  
Lizzie couldn't help herself, "So, what happened next? Did his girlfriend find you?"  
  
"No, she didn't. I decided, though, that I wasn't going to let him get away with this. I was not about to let him jerk her and me both around. So, I took a deep breath and stepped out of the closet, absolutely naked. I said, "I guess you won't be needing that blow job from me now that she's here to give it to you!" I grabbed my clothes and dressed while they sat there with their mouths wide open, and left. I heard something crash as I closed the door."  
  
Lizzie couldn't help herself. She was rocking with silent laughter, trying desperately to hide it from Kate, who had been very serious up to this point. Kate caught on, though, and just stared at her for a minute. Then she started laughing, too. It really was pretty funny.  
  
"I'm sorry Kate, but it really is funny! You rock! I'm really glad you didn't just cower in the closet and cover for that jerk! And I'm glad you didn't lose your…um…were you a virgin?"  
  
"Yeah, I was. Ethan and I were going to…you know… the night of Homecoming. But then I decided to dump him…"  
  
"So, you want him back now."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
Lizzie furrowed her brow. "So, why didn't you just take him from me?"  
  
Kate looked down at her hands in her lap. She seemed to be wrestling with something. At length, she said, "I tried."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yeah, I did. I put on my sexiest dress, and went to see him. Ethan wasn't interested. He said he liked being with you."  
  
Lizzie frowned again. She didn't know what to say to that. Ethan had liked her enough to turn down Kate. If she didn't feel so bad for Kate at the moment, she probably would have felt a little smug about that. But the fact that Kate was so miserable, and that she might have hurt Ethan more than she thought kept her from feeling good at all.  
  
"Um, Kate, I don't know if this will help at all, but he did tell me something when we were…uh…breaking up."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He said that he liked that his girlfriend was nice to him for a change, and that I actually pretended to listen to him when he talked."  
  
Kate glared at Lizzie, but Lizzie went on, "Look, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or tell you what to do. I just thought telling you might help."  
  
Kate regarded her thoughtfully for a minute. "You're right, thanks." 


	13. See how much easier it is when you work ...

The bus pulled into the base camp at a little after noon, where they had lunch waiting for the girls. After lunch, they gathered their gear and headed off to the lodge. Their room was like a barracks, with rows of double bunk beds all along two walls. This was to be their room for only the first night, and for the rest of the week they would be camping and sleeping in tents.  
  
The rest of the day was spent learning the basics about setting up camp, setting up tents, hiking, and canoeing. At night after dinner they had a campfire, and all packs were checked to make sure they had all the essentials. They were also checked to make sure they had no food or gum with them. Ms. Mac explained that bears, raccoons, and other wild creatures can smell food and will do anything to get to it. When they finally climbed into their sleeping bags, they were all so exhausted that no one, not even Lizzie and Miranda, talked after lights out.  
  
They woke the next morning to a bugle playing Reverie. Lizzie checked her watch and saw that it was 7am. Ugh! She climbed out of bed and rolled up her sleeping bag. She had to shake Miranda several times to get her to wake up, because she was a very sound sleeper. Just when Lizzie was about to pull Miranda and her mattress off onto the floor, she finally showed signs of life. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, as if she couldn't remember where she was.  
  
"Wake up, Sleepy!" Lizzie grinned.  
  
"You know, you're way too cheerful in the morning!" Miranda complained.  
  
"Get used to it. You're going to have to look at my face every morning in the fall when we go to college." Miranda groaned and threw her pillow at Lizzie.  
  
The goal that day was to make their way down river to their first campsite, set up camp, and cook their dinner. Easy enough. They had their lunch packed for them. Claire and crew picked at their breakfast, complaining about all the fat, and saying that they "didn't eat" bacon. Mrs. Mac told them that they'd better eat because it was all they were going to get except for water until lunch, and that was a long time away. They didn't listen, but everyone else did.  
  
By the time they reached their campsite, it was late afternoon, and all they wanted to do was sprawl out on the banks of the river and die. They were wet and hungry, and every muscle in their bodies hurt: in short, they were exhausted. The Bimbo squad had realized the error of being picky about their breakfast by about 9:30 am, and whined until they finally stopped for lunch at noon. Luckily, lunch was already made for them. Dinner was not. And there was no barracks to sleep in.  
  
They tied down their canoes, and started to unload. Claire seemed to think that she didn't have to pitch in and help with setting up camp and dinner prep. Ms. Mac just ignored her, and while no one thought it was fair that Claire should be able to lie around while they worked, they didn't have the energy to protest. Besides, they all new Ms. Mac, and they didn't think she would let the little prima donna get off so easily.  
  
When dinner was finally served, Claire went to find her pack and get her mess kit. She found her pack outside the tent she was to share with Kate. She got her utensils and joined everyone in line, but Ms. Mac told her, "I'm sorry, Claire, but you didn't help to prepare the dinner or set up camp. If you don't work, you don't eat."  
  
Claire whined, "But I'm hungry and tired."  
  
"We all are Claire. Did you think you were the only one to paddle a canoe all day? Why don't you ask everyone else how they feel about you taking it easy while they worked?" Ms. Mac told her sternly.  
  
"You can't do this! My father…"  
  
"Your father isn't here, Claire. And my guess is that if he had seen you laying around while everyone else worked, he would back me up. You can tell him all about it when you get home, and you can send him to talk to me. Now, I suggest you go try and talk to Kate about letting you share the tent she put up without your help."  
  
Claire stomped off. Miranda could barely contain her laughter while she watched the exchange. After Claire was gone, Lizzie asked, "Ms. Mac, are you really not going to let her eat?"  
  
Ms. Mac smirked, "It won't kill her to miss a meal. She could do with a little humility. But I may let her have some leftovers if she agrees to clean all the cooking pots after dinner.  
  
Everyone agreed that this was the best food they had ever tasted. At that point, they would have eaten the boxes the food came in. They didn't pay any more attention to Claire until Miranda elbowed Lizzie and pointed to the girl, carrying a pot of water over to heat on the stove. They giggled. "Guess she won't starve." Lizzie observed.  
  
"Good. I didn't want to listen to her whine all night."  
  
As it turned out, Kate did let her sleep in the tent, but only after everyone had told enough bear and "lunatic in the woods" stories to scare Claire half to death. She begged Kate, who finally said she could sleep in the tent only if she broke camp the next day by herself. Ms Mac couldn't resist adding, "See how much easier it is to work together, than to have to do it all by yourself?" 


	14. Claire, where is your partner?

I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of it's characters, and am making no profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. Yada, yada, yada.  
  
  
  
The girls rose early the next morning. If they had thought they were sore the day before, it was nothing to what they felt after a night of sleeping on the hard ground. Still, they all had to agree that they were having a great time. It was hard work, but the scenery was so beautiful, and not having phones and tv and all the other noise that came with their usual everyday lives was very relaxing. And paddling the canoes made them sore, but it also felt really good to use their muscles.  
  
Ms. Mac, who regularly practiced yoga, led them in a series of "Sun Salutations," which stretched the whole body. They were amazed at how much better their tired muscles felt when they were done, and at how much energy it gave them. They all broke camp and got ready to move on. Claire actually took down the tent she and Kate shared without complaint, and cleaned their area.  
  
Kate, who could have slacked off, actually helped with the other chores instead. This amazed everyone, except maybe Lizzie. She was dying to tell Miranda about the conversation she and Kate had had on the bus, but felt a strange loyalty to Kate to keep her secret and tell no one. Even Miranda. Lizzie watched Kate pitch in and try to blend in with the group, and thought that maybe, just maybe, the old old Kate ~ the one she they used to share all their secrets with ~ might be coming back.. She shook herself. Probably not. As soon as they got back to school, it would be business as usual, she was sure.  
  
The rest of the day was pretty much like the last one, except that Claire seemed to have learned her lesson. Also, they were a little more acclimated to the long day and hard work, so spent more time around the campfire that night. Ms. Mac told them that they would be staying at that campsite for another day and night, and that tomorrow they would be going on a hike. They would pair off and use the skills they had learned the first day to follow a marked trail. She reminded them of the importance of staying on the path and about the snakes and other creatures they might encounter if they strayed off the path. After that, they talked and told stories and sang and made s'mores before calling it a night.  
  
The next morning, when they woke, they found that Ms. Mac and her TA, Miss Rodriguez had gotten up before them and were already off marking the trails. Kate started some "Sun Salutations," and soon, most of the group was following along with her. They made breakfast, and were ready to eat when the Ms. Mac and Ms. Rodriguez returned.  
  
Ms. Mac told the girls she was very pleased with them and the progress they had made. She was confident that they would enjoy themselves on their hike, and said that they would be given a card with either red or green on it. The ones with the green cards would take the green trail, and the ones with the red cards would take the red trail. They were to follow the trail, using the colored ribbons to guide them. Each pair had a guide book which identified plants and animals indigenous to the area, and they were to mark down at least ten that they saw along the way. The trails were very simple, and she would see them back at camp with lunch ready for them.  
  
At noon, they all met back at camp, famished and ready to eat the next bear that wandered across their path. All, except Kate and Claire. No one worried too much, though, since they were the last to leave. Finally, Claire showed up without Kate.  
  
Ms. Mac asked, "Claire, where is your partner?"  
  
Claire looked confused, "Didn't she come back here?"  
  
"No. You two were to stay together. That's why we go in pairs. Didn't you two stay on the path?" Ms. Mac was trying to stay calm, but her voice was starting to rise.  
  
"Well, I saw a snake. Kate said she didn't think it was poisonous, but I didn't care. I ran. I must have gotten off the path, because I ended up in the middle of a bunch of trees. But I followed the river, and found the green ribbons and followed them here.  
  
"So, Kate is still out there somewhere, probably looking for you?"  
  
Claire hung her head and muttered, "I guess so."  
  
Ms. Mac said, "Go eat! Who's done eating? I need someone to come with me to look for Kate."  
  
Lizzie volunteered, much to Miranda's amazement. "Miranda, I can't imagine Kate out there all by herself. I would be so scared if I were her!"  
  
Miranda decided she would go, too, but Ms. Mac told her to stay. She didn't want anyone else to account for in an emergency situation. She told Ms. R to see to it that everyone stayed put and said that they could keep in touch with the radio. She then asked Claire where she had last seen Kate, and she and Lizzie set off down the trail.  
  
They headed down the trail, calling for Kate, and trying to find some sign of her being there. They had gone about 2 miles and were crossing a stream when two things happened: First, the Ms. Mac slipped on a rock, and there was a loud cracking sound. Her knee began to swell rapidly.  
  
"Oh, my…" Lizzie was about to ask is she was ok, but it seemed like an unbelievably stupid question. "What can I do?"  
  
Ms. Mac was in excruciating pain. "I'm going to need a splint and probably a stretcher to get back to camp. I'll call back to camp and get some help."  
  
Lizzie, with Ms. Mac's help, soaked some bandages with cold water from the stream, and and bound the swelling knee. She searched for some sturdy tree branches, but couldn't find any that would do the job. She did, however, find a neon green water bottle sling.  
  
She ran back to Ms. Mac. "This is Kate's! She's the only one with a sling this color. She has to have been here!"  
  
When help arrived, they bound Ms. Mac's wounded leg to her other one with some bandages, and rigged up a blanket sled to pull her back to camp. Lizzie told them to go on without her, because she had to check out the spot where she had found the bottle.  
  
"Lizzie, you can't stay here by yourself."  
  
"Well, I'm not going to go and leave Kate out here alone. I found her water bottle in the woods. That can't be a good sign."  
  
In the end Miranda, who had arrived with the help crew, was assigned to stay with her best friend. They were told to stay close to the path, and wait till the Ranger arrived to help them out. Ms. Mac handed Lizzie her radio, and made sure she knew how to use it before finally letting the girls take her back to the camp.  
  
When they were gone, Lizzie turned to go back to where she had found the bottle. Miranda followed, and soon found a little keychain Kate always carried, with a heart-shaped frame and a picture of her dog. "Oh, wow, this is not good."  
  
The looked some more, and found a tube of chap stick, and realized that they seemed to be following a sort of trail Kate had made for herself. Miranda thought they shouldn't go any farther until the Ranger got there, but Lizzie said Kate might be hurt and she wasn't going to wait. They finally decided to continue, but they would leave the "trail," intact so they could follow it back themselves. They put the keychain and the chapstick back where they had found it, and moved on.  
  
They hadn't gone too far when they saw a cabin ahead of them. They were about to run towards I when they saw man with a gun come out the front door, dragging a young girl by the hair. Her hands were bound behind her with duct tape. He was speaking to her in a stern voice, and when she answered, he hit her across her already swollen face. He shoved her into an outhouse, and growled something to her. He then stood guard on the little structure as if he were a sentry.  
  
The two girls dove behind a hedge of low growing foliage. "Oh, my god! That's Kate!"  
  
Lizzie whispered in a panicked voice.  
  
"I know that's what she was wearing this morning, but her face is a mess. What do we do?"  
  
"Let me think. We can't let him find us, and we have to rescue Kate." Lizzie's mind was racing, "Ok, you go back to the path and see if the Ranger is there. I'm going to stay here and make sure he doesn't kill Kate. When you get to the path, radio for help from the police. If we do that here, he might hear us."  
  
"Lizzie, I'm not leaving you here!"  
  
"You have to, Miranda. It's Kate's only hope."  
  
Miranda looked into Lizzie's eyes for a long moment, first with concern, then with resolve, "Ok, but you don't be a hero. You wait till we get here unless he's going to shoot Kate." Lizzie nodded. "Promise!" she held out her pinkie.  
  
Lizzie joined pinkies with her, but then Miranda threw her arms around her and hugged her. They looked out from around the hedge, and saw the pair headed back into the house. Without another word, Miranda crept from their cover, and dashed toward the path.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I'm going to finish this story under a separate entry, so if you want to read the rest, it will be listed as "The Day After Happily Ever After." The first four chapters will be the same as these you have already read. Thanks for taking the time to read my story! I really do appreciate those of you who have taken the time to review, too! 


End file.
